Hearsay regarding Roberts. Those are good credentials, and better than Souter's, but other candidates such as Edith Jones and Michael Luttig have much better credentials especially where they matter: how they ruled in the past.
I'm not as pessimistic as Ann seems to be, just wish the credentials were rock solid, which IMHO, they're not.
Roberts is a better pick than Edith Jones or Michael Luttig because of his oral advocacy skills. Remember, he will have to confront hostile Dems on the Judiciary Committee.
Further, he is more likely to having a lasting impact because of what he will bring to oral arguments (like Scalia) and his writing ability (like Scalia).
While Jones and Luttig were both fine candidates, Roberts is regarded as a sharper lawyer. He has the same conservative philosphy to boot.